1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information communication device that has a plurality of protocols for obtaining information on connection targets and a method for selecting protocols.
2. Description of the Related Art
The discovery protocol is available as a technique for automatically obtaining information on network devices connected to local area networks (LANs). Network devices can readily connect to other network devices through the use of data obtained by the discovery protocol. The discovery protocol is implemented in various forms, for example, a standard or a de facto standard. For example, Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) proposed by Microsoft Corporation and Rendezvous (or Bonjour) proposed by Apple Computer, Inc. are available. Web Services Dynamic Discovery (WS-Discovery), Service Location Protocol (SLP), and the like other than these protocols are also available, and there is no compatibility among these discovery protocols.
Several techniques (hereinafter, referred to as discovery protocols) for automatically obtaining information on connection targets exist. There is, however, no compatibility among these techniques, as described above. Thus, some devices cannot readily connect to each other. Consequently, there is a disadvantage for users such that the number of types of devices available via networks decreases.
Accordingly, information communication devices need to have at least two discovery protocols. However, when the number of discovery protocols that information communication devices have increases, a disadvantage arises, in that the amount of communication packet data to be processed by information communication devices increases because plural discovery protocols are simultaneously executed.
Moreover, while the number of detected devices increases because information communication devices have a plurality of discovery protocols, devices that are not required by users are searched for. Thus, a disadvantage arises, such that user selectivity and operability are impaired.